Monday, June the 10th, the Partnership Agreement between Ukrainian State Enterprise “National Nuclear Energy Generating Company “Energoatom”, State Enterprise “State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety” (SSTC NRS) and U.S. Holtec International has been signed in Holtec International HQ in Camden, NJ. The document was signed by the heads of the companies, Messrs. Iourii Nedashkovskyi, Igor Shevchenko and Dr.Krishna Singh.
The work on the Project was launched last October, and now the parties had agreed all prerequisites for the Project to start.
The signed trilateral agreement provides for establishment of the international consortium to support activities for implementation in Ukraine of SMR-160 small modular reactor (SMR) technology. It is planned that the consortium will be established by means of consistent fulfillment of a number of tasks, including analysis of the regulatory documentation used in development of the concept design of a power unit with SMR-160 type reactor; analysis of SMR-160 NPP concept design; preparation of the initial data required for feasibility study development; assessment of SMR-160 design for its compliance with general and technical criteria according to the IAEA’s NP-T-1.10 “Nuclear Reactor Technology Assessment for Near Term Deployment” and preparation of the documents to take a national decision related to implementation for SMR-160 reactor technology in Ukraine.
As a reminder, in 2017 Dr.Krishna Singh, President and CEO of Holtec International, addressed the President of Ukraine with a request to create in Ukraine a hub for dissemination of SMR technology in Europe, Asia and Africa, with related equipment manufacturing being organized at Ukrainian enterprises. SMR technology is recognized as the most advanced direction in NPP construction. Compared to traditional reactor types, SMRs have much higher safety level, as they have no equipment that needs external power supply, but have other passive safety systems. SMR-160 design reactors can also operate in the load following mode, can be built on small sites and do not require connection to powerful transmission lines. The world market of SMRs beyond 2025 is estimated at the level of approximately USD 1 trillion.
In 2018, SE “NNEGC “Energoatom” and Holtec International signed the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in application of SMR-160 (Holtec) small modular reactors in Ukraine. It is stated in the Memorandum that it is aimed not only at licensing of SMR-160 technology in Ukraine and future construction of those reactors at Ukraine NPPs, but at partial deployment of equipment manufacturing at Ukrainian enterprises as well. Thus, according to the document, cooperation between Energoatom and Holtec International will contribute to Ukraine’s evolvement into a leading international exporter of reactor systems, structures and components for small modular reactors.
